2025 Sterling Award Winners Announced; 3 Carroll Countians

Dr. Margaret Taylor, president of Jackson Area Business and Professional Women, has announced the winners of Sterling Awards 2025: 20 Most Influential Women in West Tennessee, the Outstanding Woman Military Veteran and the Sue Shelton White Award.

The 20 Most Influential Women in West Tennessee 2025 are:

Carroll County: Lori Dillahunty, chairperson for the Carroll County Inclusion Park; Brittany Martin, publisher of the McKenzie Banner, president of Tri-County Publishing Inc., president of Carroll Arts, Inc.; LaShonda Williams, owner of Lakeway Nutrition and Rexair distributor.

Chester County: Courtney Bingham, systems operations analyst at Jackson Energy Authority (JEA); owner of Mimi’s Boutique; Kim Morris, co-founder and president of 45 South Offroad; insurance agent at Godfrey Insurance in Selmer.

Hardeman County: Harriet Thompson, Hardeman County General Sessions and Juvenile Court judge, Bolivar city judge, Middleton city judge, attorney at law.

Henderson County: Mary Jowers, attorney at law, city judge of Lexington.

Madison County: Virginia Conger, volunteer, retired educator; Delois Dailey, aerospace science instructor at Haywood High School; Anita Hamilton, certified public accountant, senior director of personal financial strategies at Horne LLP; Mamie Hutcherson, executive director of Wo/Men’s Resource & Rape Assistance Program (WRAP); Sarah Jones, major crimes and special operations intelligence analyst with the Jackson Police Department; Brenda Locke, Catering sales manager (acting), DoubleTree by Hilton Jackson, and independent contractor affiliate broker, Conner Real Estate; Pam McCarty, certified grief counselor, consultant for university writing classes, board member and founder of the nonprofit Morgan McCarty Scholarship Foundation; Liz Mayo, English professor and global learning coordinator at Jackson State Community College (JSCC); Twana Miller, executive clinical director and owner of The Positive Living Group; Angela Snider, attorney at law; Debbie Swacker; Community activist, entrepreneur.

Tipton County: Rose Stemmons, President, CEO, and founder of Krayola Learning Academy Inc.

Weakley County: Rafielle Boone Freeman, Executive, Healthcare Dynamics International, Quality and Business Strategy.

Winning the 2025 Outstanding Woman Military Veteran Award is Peggy McLean of Jackson, US Navy 1978-1989, post service officer at American Legion Post 12 in Jackson, retiree.

Winner of the 2025 Sue Shelton White Award is Sara Barnett of Jackson, attorney at Spragins, Barnett & Cobb, PLC.

The Sterling Awards 2025 ceremony will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, at the J. Walter Barnes Conference Center at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. There is no fee to attend. A reception will follow the awards presentation.

For more information about Sterling Awards, email Jacque Hillman, editor of the Sterling Awards magazine, at jacquehillman@gmail.com.